The Year of 'BioShock'

Holden native part of the 'game of the year'

BY ERIK RADVON ERADVON@HOLDENLANDMARK. COM

HOLDEN - Last year turned out to be a record-setting one for the rapidly maturing video game industry. Sales in 2007 soared to $17.9 billion dollars - yes, that's billion with a "b" - a sum that rivals the receipts brought in by both Hollywood and

the music industry. The technology powering the digital entertainment business also continued its forward march, with new consoles sporting near photorealistic graphics and innovative motion controls, while the games produced for them reached levels of detail and sophistication never before seen.

At the center of it all was a game called "BioShock" and behind the scenes of "BioShock" was Holden native Jesse Johnson.

The Landmark first talked to the WRHS grad in August, when "Bioshock" was just being released. Johnson said then that he was pleased with how the game's visual style turned out and that some critics had given it early high marks.

Fast forward five months later: "Bio- Shock" has won 2007 Game of the Year honors from The Associated Press, Game Informer Magazine, The Houston Chronicle, The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Amazon.com, and cable channels G4 and Spike TV. It also made the top ten lists of numerous mainstream publications, including The New York Times and Time Magazine.

Jesse Johnson Instead of delivering a solid game, Johnson ended up contributing to an allout blockbuster.

Johnson says the months since the release of "BioShock" have been "pretty amazing."

"We knew that we had made a great game, but I don't think any of us anticipated it being quite as successful as it has turned out to be," he said.

The "we" Johnson refers to is the team at his employer, 2K Games Boston. In an industry dominated by Japan and Silicon Valley, the Bay State video game company produced a hit title that took on giant franchises like Nintendo's Mario and Microsoft's Halo.

Johnson, a graphics programmer, was responsible for handling the behind the scene technical elements in "BioShock" that allowed for realistic looking water to ebb and flow. In a game that takes place in a city submerged beneath the ocean, that is a much bigger deal than it sounds.

While all the critical praise has been great, Johnson said the fan reaction to the game has been even better.

"It's really nice to be recognized, especially in light of all the big competition out there, but what was even better was how the fans grabbed on to it," Johnson said.

The game has such a devoted following that anything emblazoned with the "BioShock" logo is fetching top dollar on eBay … as some of Johnson's friends found out.

"I invited some friends of mine to a release party for the game. They took some coasters home with them, totally worthless cardboard coasters. A few days later one of my friends told me that they sold one for $20 online," he said.

"BioShock" fans have started Web sites, blogs, and chat groups centered on the game. The buzz is that 2K Boston is already working on a sequel.

"We are starting to develop our next project and I wish I could say what it is. All I can say right now is that there are a lot of rumors out there on the Internet for anyone who wants to read them," Johnson said.

Any sequel, if that is indeed what 2K Boston is working on, won't be rushed out just to cash in on the current demand. According to Johnson, the development of 2K Boston's next title will be at least a two-year process.

"This is a kind of tricky time for us because, with a game, what you start off with is usually nothing like what the finished product ends up looking like. So we are trying to wrap our heads around what this new project is going to be on a fundamental level," he said.

Hard at work on crafting another hit game, Johnson has had scant time to absorb that he was part of what will forever be viewed as an important milestone in a still young industry.

"I've been so focused on putting out the next game that I haven't really grasped how big 'BioShock' has gotten. I think it is going to be around for quite awhile," he said.